Cover dispenser

ABSTRACT

An improved apparatus having a single rotating roller for maintaining and individually dispensing a disc-shaped article from a stack of said discs.

Unite States Patent Michael R. Myers Kansas City, Mo.

Sept. 10, 1969 July 6, 1971 Phillips Petroleum Company Inventor Appl No.Filed Patented Assignee COVER DISPENSER 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 221/277,

53/316, 22l/289 1m. Cl 865g 59/00 Field of Search 221/277.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,023,325 l2/l935 Kcmpe etal 221/277 X 3,332.210 7/1967 Tordi 221/277 X Primary Examiner-M. HensonW0od,Jr. Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar Attorney-Young and QuiggABSTRACT: An improved apparatus having a single rotating roller formaintaining and individually dispensing a discshaped article from astack of said discs.

PATENTEU JUL slsn 3.591.048

FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

M. R. MYERS FIG. 3 BY 1 A 7'TORNEYS COVER DISPENSER This inventionrelates to an improved apparatus for individually and separatelydispensing a disc-shaped article.

Known machines for individually dispensing disc-shaped articles, forexample lids for containers, from an article stack or reservoircomprises many forms. In one form, the disc-shaped article and thesurface of the object that receives the article are brought togetheralong converging planes, so that the junction of the planes, thearticle, and the object are in con tacting relation. More specifically,the objects are conveyed under an inclined chute on which the articlesare held in overhanging relation in the path of travel of the objects.As the objects pass under the chute, their leading edge engages theexposed skirt of the article and pulls it free of the chute.Subsequently, the skirt is pressed over the container in encirclingrelation and the process is accomplished. To insure that the articles donot leave the chute until engaged by an object, they are releasably heldbetween stops contacting the edges of the lids. The adjustment of thestops is critical, inasmuch as they have to frictionally retain the capon the chute, and yet release the article when engaged by a container.Another known machine has a plurality of rollers on which an edge of thedisc shaped articles contact. The rollers rotate thereby rotating thecontacting articles. Means in contact with the article stack move thearticles longitudinally along the rotating rollers to a position atwhich dispensing means causes an individual article to be ejected fromthe article stack. This type of machine comprises a large number ofmoving parts that are subject to malfunction and breakage, are expensiveand difficult to construct, and require considerable labor expendituresto properly adjust and maintain for uniform operation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improvedapparatus for individually, separately dispensing discshaped articles.Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus ofthe above described type that is of more simple construction, is moreeasily adjusted, comprises fewer moving parts, and requires littlesupervision and maintenance. Yet another object of this invention is toprovide an apparatus of the above described type that functions withreduced power requirements. Other aspects, objects, and advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent from a study of thedisclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

The drawing comprises three figures of the apparatus of this inventionwith a plurality of disc-shaped articles resting thereupon. FIG. 1 is adiagrammatic front view of the apparatus of this invention. FIG. 2 is adiagrammatic plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is adiagrammatic sectional view taken along lines III-III of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the improved apparatus has a frame 2 withspaced-apart first and second sidewalls 4, 6. A power source 8 isassociated with the frame 2 and connected to a roller 10. The roller 10has a longitudinal axis, first and second ends 12, 14, and extendsbetween the sidewalls 4, 6 of the frame 2. The roller is operablyconnected to the power source 8 and rotatably attached at the first andsecond ends 12, I4 to the respective sidewalls 4, 6 for rotation aboutthe longitudinal axis by the power source 8.

Referring to FIG. 2, a stabilizing rod 16 with first and second ends 18,20 is attached to and extends between the spaced-apart respectivesidewalls 4l, 6 of the frame 2. The roller 10 (better seen in FIG. 3) ispositioned at a lower elevation than the stabilizing rod 16, laterallyspaced therefrom, and is substantially parallel to said rod 16. Aguiding rod 22 having first and second ends 24, 26 is attached at thefirst end 24 to the first sidewall 4, extends substantially parallelrelative to the roller 10 toward the second sidewall 6, and terminatesat the second end 26 at a location spaced from the second sidewall 6 adistance in the range of between one to less than two times thethickness of a single disc 27 that is dispensed by the apparatus. Theguiding rod 22 is at a higher elevation and is spaced a lateral distancefrom the roller 10 in an opposed direction from said roller 10 relativeto the lateral displacement ofthe stabilizing rod I6.

The guiding rod 22, roller 10, and stabilizing rod 16 are spacedrelative to one another and to a disc-shaped object 27 such that theguiding rod 22 and roller 10 contact a circumferential edge ofa disc 27positioned thereon and support said disc 27 as the stabilizing rod 16contacts the edge and maintains said disc 27 against lateral movement ina direction from the roller I0 toward the stabilizing rod 16. For thestabilizing rod I6 to function with maximum capabilities to prevent theabove described lateral movement of the disc 27, it is preferred thatthe stabilizing rod 16 be within a horizontal plane passing through thecenter of a disc that is operably positioned upon the roller 10 and theguiding rod 22. The lateral and vertical displacement of the guiding rod22 relative to the roller 10 is also dependent upon the diameter of thedisc 27 to be dispensed by the apparatus.

For discharging a disc 27 from the roller 10 and between the secondsidewall 6 and the second end 26 ofthe guiding rod 22, it is preferredthat said roller 10 and guiding rod 22 be relatively positioned suchthat a downwardly extending vertical plane passing through the center ofa disc 27 separates the roller 10 and the guiding rod 22 and islaterally spaced from the guiding rod 22 a greater distance than saidplane is spaced from the roller I0 and an angle as measured from thecenter of the disc 27 from the roller 10 to the guiding rod 22 is lessthan By so positioning roller 10 and the guiding rod 22 relative to thedisc 27 resting thereupon, the guiding rod 22 supports a portion of theweight of each disc 27, provides greater flexibility in loading aplurality of stacked disc 27 upon the roller I0 and guiding bar 22, andmaintains the moving discs 27 against lateral movement in a directionfrom the roller 10 towards the guiding rod 22. In order to assure thatmovement of the discs 27 in contact with the guiding rod 22 in responseto rotation of the roller 10 do not cause said discs 27 to roll over theguiding bar 22 and from the apparatus, it is preferred that the roller10 rotates the disc 27 in a direction from the roller 10 toward theguiding rod 22. Frictional forces exerted on the discs 27 by the guidingrod 22, when rotating the disc as described above, also causes the discs27 to be urged toward the roller 10 thereby tending to prevent verticalmovement of the discs 27 relative to the roller 10, excessive wear on ordamage to the discs 27, and increases the force of contact between thediscs 27 and the roller 10. To further reduce the possibilities of wear,fraying, or damage to the discs 27, especially in situations wherein thediscs are rotating in contact with the guiding and stabilizing rods 22and 16 at high velocities, it is preferred that each rod have alongitudinal axis and be rotatable about their respective longitudinalaxis in response to movement ofa disc 27 in contact therewith.

A ramp 28 having an upper surface 30 is preferably positioned between asecond sidewall 6 and the second end 26 of the guiding rod 22 andattached to the second sidewall 6 of the frame 2 at the lower elevationthan a disc 27 resting upon the roller 10 and extends downwardlytherefrom. By so providing a ramp 28 constructed and positioned asdescribed above, discs 27 discharging from the roller 10 are uniformlydispensed for subsequent operation.

In order to control the rate of dispensing discs 27 and timing gate canbe installed in the pathway of a disc discharging from the apparatus.Movement of the stack of discs toward the second sidewall can be causedby the configuration of the portion of the disc 27 contacting therotating roller 10, inclination of the roller 10 and associated guiding22 and stabilizing l6 rods, spring means and the like.

In the operation of this invention, a stack of disc-shaped articles 27are vertically positioned in contact with the roller 10, guiding bar 22,and stabilizing bar 16. Although this operation can be conducted byhand, it is preferred that separate disc stacks be automatically sopositioned. The power source 8 rotates the roller 10 which causes thecontacting disc 27 to rotate and move toward the second sidewall 6.During movement of the disc 27 from the first sidewall 4 toward thesecond sidewall 6, lateral movement of the disc 27 relative to theroller 10 is prevented by the guiding rod 22 and stabilizing rod 16being positioned on opposed sides of the disc 27. Upon arrival of a disc27 at a position adjacent the second sidewall 6 and the ramp 28,rotational forces exerted on the disc 27 by the roller 10 and gravitycauses the disc 27 to pass between the second end 26 of the guiding rod22 and the second sidewall 6, move downwardly along the ramp 28 and fromthe apparatus. Since the space between the second end 26 of the guidingrod 22 and the second sidewall 6 is less than the thickness of two discs27, the discs are thereby individually and separately dispensedtherefrom. Other modifications and alterations of this invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoingdiscussions and accompanying drawing, and it should be understood thatthis invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

Whatl claim is:

ll. An improved apparatus for maintaining and individually dispensing aplurality of articles having a power source, a frame with spaced-apartsidewalls, and a stabilizing rod with first and second ends attached toand extending between the respective sidewalls of the frame forcontacting and maintaining a plurality of disc-shaped articles againstlateral movement in a direction from a roller toward the stabilizingrod, the improvement comprising:

a single roller having a longitudinal axis, first and second ends, andextending between the sidewalls of the frame and being at a lowerelevation than the stabilizing rod is connected to the power source androtatably attached at the first and second ends to the respectivesidewalls for contacting a circumferential edge of a plurality ofarticles and supporting and rotating said articles; and

a guiding rod having first and second ends and being at a higherelevation and laterally spaced a distance from the roller in an opposeddirection from the roller relative to the stabilizing rod and in contactwith and at a lower elevation than a portion of a disc-shaped articleresting upon the roller is attached at the first end to the firstsidewall, extends substantially parallel relative to the roller towardthe second sidewall, and terminates at the second end at a locationspaced from the second sidewall a distance in the range of between oneto less than two times the thickness ofa single disc for contacting andsupporting a plurality of disc-shaped articles moving in contact withthe roller, guiding the articles toward the second sidewall, preventinglateral movement of the articles from the roller toward the guiding rod,and releasing individual articles for lateral movement by the roller toa location spaced from the apparatus.

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a downwardly extendingvertical plane passing through the centerline of a disc supported by theroller and guiding rod separates the roller and guiding rod and islaterally spaced from the guiding rod a greater distance than said planeis spaced from the roller and an angle as measured from the center ofthe disc from the roller to the guiding rod is less than 3. Anapparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the stabilizing rod iswithin a horizontal plane passing through the centerline of the disc.

4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roller rotates thedisc in a direction from the roller toward the guiding rod.

5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, including a ramp having anupper surface positioned between the second sidewall and the second endof the guiding rod is attached to the second sidewall of the frame at alower elevation than a disc resting upon the roller and extendsdownwardly therefrom.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guiding andstabilizing rods each have a longitudinal axis and are rotatable abouttheir respective longitudinal axis in response to movement ofa disc incontact therewith.

1. An improved apparatus for maintaining and individually dispensing aplurality of articles having a power source, a frame with spaced-apartsidewalls, and a stabilizing rod with first and second ends attached toand extending between the respective sidewalls of the frame forcontacting and maintaining a plurality of disc-shaped articles againstlateral movement in a direction from a roller toward the stabilizingrod, the improvement comprising: a single roller having a longitudinalaxis, first and second ends, and extending between the sidewalls of theframe and being at a lower elevation than the stabilizing rod isconnected to the power source and rotatably attached at the first andsecond ends to the respective sidewalls for contacting a circumferentialedge of a plurality of articles and supporting and rotating saidarticles; and a guiding rod having first and second ends and being at ahigher elevation and laterally spaced a distance from the roller in anopposed direction from the roller relative to the stabilizing rod and incontact with and at a lower elevation than a portion of a disc-shapedarticle resting upon the roller is attached at the first end to thefirst sidewall, extends substantially parallel relative to the rollertoward the second sidewall, and terminates at the second end at alocation spaced from the second sidewall a distance in the range ofbetween one to less than two times the thickness of a single disc forcontacting and supporting a plurality of disc-shaped articles moving incontact with the roller, guiding the articles toward the secondsidewall, preventing lateral movement of the articles from the rollertoward the guiding rod, and releasing individual articles for lateralmovement by the roller to a location spaced from the apparatus.
 2. AnapparAtus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a downwardly extendingvertical plane passing through the centerline of a disc supported by theroller and guiding rod separates the roller and guiding rod and islaterally spaced from the guiding rod a greater distance than said planeis spaced from the roller and an angle as measured from the center ofthe disc from the roller to the guiding rod is less than 90*.
 3. Anapparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the stabilizing rod iswithin a horizontal plane passing through the centerline of the disc. 4.An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roller rotates thedisc in a direction from the roller toward the guiding rod.
 5. Anapparatus, as set forth in claim 1, including a ramp having an uppersurface positioned between the second sidewall and the second end of theguiding rod is attached to the second sidewall of the frame at a lowerelevation than a disc resting upon the roller and extends downwardlytherefrom.
 6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the guidingand stabilizing rods each have a longitudinal axis and are rotatableabout their respective longitudinal axis in response to movement of adisc in contact therewith.